I’m not sure I completely understand, @Laura Corin. Is this it?— Your way of eating is so satisfying to you that eating “off plan” really isn’t a temptation.

I guess I’m looking for motivation. I had lost about 12 lbs, but this summer was crazy, with a move and all the work that entails, plus a new job for me and new schools for half my kids, thrown in for good measure. I really need to lose about 25 lbs AND KEEP IT OFF. If you have done this or something similar (the amount of weight doesn’t matter, as long as it is significant to you and took sustained effort), what made you decide to do it (& what have you the determination to stick to it when it was hard)? One thing I know about myself is that I really need a reason to do what I do. I’d like to come up with as many convincing reasons as I can that I need to make my health a priority.

Not nearly often enough, I’ve learned from this thread. I aim to wash sheets every other weekend. As for all other bedding, I’m going to go with “as needed.” Yep, that’s it—as needed. 🤣

This week I finished The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys in audiobook format. It was a 5 star read/listen for me. Sepetys writes mostly YA historical fiction, but I’ve loved everything by her I’ve read. This novel is set in Spain during Franco’s rule, but one of the main characters is an American whose mother is Spanish. I loved the sweet romance in this story, and I’m not really a fan of romance. All in all, just a great story about a little known (to me) time and place in history. I have a few more in the works, but that’s all I finished last week. Happy reading!

Last year, after a decade of homeschooling, all the kids went to school and I went back to classroom teaching. We were all in a small private Christian school. Over the summer, I was hired as the STEM teacher for a small public school system’s elementary schools. This is a good thing because it’s a big salary increase, plus benefits, including state retirement, which I am only about a year away from being fully vested in. We also moved back to my hometown this summer (only about 5 mi away from where we had been living). Our new house is smaller than our old house (downsized from about 4000 sq ft to about 2500 sq ft) AND it has a POOL! Having a pool in my backyard is a dream come true for me. Our master bedroom is also large enough for me to have a private sitting area, which is something this introvert has needed for a while. 😏 Everyone in my family is relatively healthy. OP, thank for asking this question!

I am very much like the OP, except that I am terrible at organizing and packing. One thing I distinctly remember from school (where I was very academically successful) is that while I loved science, I greatly preferred the book work over the lab work. It has just hit me that there might be a correlation.

Alabama here, and I’ve never heard the term pot plant in any other context except to mean marijuana. Plants in pots are potted plants around these parts. And now I’ve read the word pot so many times that a.) it is the most ridiculous word in the lexicon to me and b.) I’m no longer sure it IS a word or what it actually means. 😂

This chili lime black bean soup is different from the one up thread. It’s one of my favorites!

Now THAT’s an idea! 🤣

I’ve decided we go through A LOT of kitchen towels and cloths. Apparently it is easier for some of us 😏 to simply get a new one from the drawer rather than look around and see where one has been left on the counter. 😑😑

I think I have two choices: 1. Ditch the bucket and make sure the cloths and towels dry thoroughly OR 2. Wash them more frequently with general loads (Daily?)

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup Hardware Dutch oven with lid Saucepan Whisk Software ½ tblsp canola oil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 6 cups chicken stock 1 4.5 oz package wild rice, seasoning packet reserved ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 onion, finely diced ½ cup carrot, medium dice 6 tblsp unsalted butter ½ cup flour 2 cups warm milk Kosher salt Directions 1. Season the chicken breasts heavily with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large dutch oven, heat canola oil over mediumhigh heat until shimmering. Add chicken breasts and cover the pot. Once chicken is browned on bottom side, approximately 3-5 minutes, flip them, cover again, and allow to cook until second side is browned. Remove chicken breasts to plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Once rested, cut chicken into a small dice. 2. Over medium high heat, deglaze the pot that chicken was cooked in with stock. Add the rice, bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. 3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and cook until onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the pepper, reserved seasoning packet, and flour. Whisk together and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Whisk milk into mixture slowly. Once thoroughly combined, add to stock along with diced chicken. 4. Continue to simmer the soup uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick, until the rice is tender and soup is thickened to desired consistency. Season to taste with kosher salt. N.b. I often skip the first step and use a rotisserie chicken instead.

Fall is finally (kind of) in the air here in the Deep South, and my menu planning mind is turning to soups. I know there are probably lots of such threads in the archives, but I’d like some new ideas and thought I’d ask the folks hanging out in the forum now. I’ll share a recipe or two in the comments.

I did learn something today! I learned about the early history of life insurance. Did you know that life insurance (purportedly? I haven’t actually researched this, but it’s in this nonfiction audiobook I’m listening to. . . ) actually had its beginnings as fire insurance in Europe? People would belong to a “club” (can’t think of a better word. . .) that would guarantee them the help of a fire brigade should they ever need it. Only homes bearing the official plaque of the fire brigade would receive attention in the event of fire. (Yes, I love parentheses. 😏)

Alabama here, so I’d guess were similar. I think I also just need to up my housekeeping game. 🥴

We had a possum in our crawl space once, and IIRC a live trap solved the problem.

I suspect that my problem is a combination of too many people always messing around in the kitchen (kids! teenagers! A husband!) and our humid climate.

I have nothing to add right now, but I just wanted to say that I love this idea and will be eagerly watching this thread!

I’m curious to see if anyone has an ingenious idea for dirty dishcloths and dish towels. We go through a lot of them. Currently I try to collect them in a bucket of vinegar water until I have a load to wash. This doesn’t always keep down the funky odor, though. I’d love to hear any and all ideas!

Thanks, everyone! I was fishing for ideas in hopes that some brilliant new device had been invented that would miraculously give me extra flat space to dry several large items WITHOUT being an eyesore or requiring me to do a lot of put-up-and-take-down. It looks like I have yet another something to put on the IKEA list.

Gooseturd green and puke are the winners for me! 🤣. And, thanks to you, @Kareni , I have learned something interesting today.

Six times, not counting the two times in childhood that we moved back into the home we owned in our home state after my dad was transferred out of state for work. (We always came back home, and I now live with my family in the city I moved to with my family of origin to when I was 3.)

Do you use some sort of rack? I’m really looking for something that can easily be put away when not in use. This has been a quandary for me for a long time because apparently clothes that need to be dried this way are my favorite. 🤣. I often have several pieces to dry at a time, so something that has several layers/levels would be ideal. Whatcha got? Links and/or pictures appreciated!

We just moved this summer, and this home is pretty close to perfect for us right now: approximately 2500 sq ft, largeish yard (corner city lot), pool. We also live down The street from my mil, which is ideal since she picks my boys up from school and is our go-to sitter when the girls are busy. It’s also conveniently located for our family which often finds itself going in opposite directions. It has 2.5 baths, and I’d like to make that a solid 3. It’s possible and even likely, if we ever manage to go through with our plans. If we’re dreaming, I’d like to live on the beach on the Gulf coast (preferably south Alabama). (Only not right now—thanks, Sally!). I love the beach house style.

I agree!